Summary: Path of Exile 2 Lore Act 1 Lore Explained
Image Credit: Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile 2 (POE2)
Welcome to the world of Path of Exile 2, where things are dark, dangerous, and everyone’s got a tragic backstory. Act 1 throws you into the deep end of Wraeclast’s lore, starting in the town of Ogham. Don’t worry—I’ll keep this simple and sprinkle in some dry humor to keep you from drowning in the grimness.
Welcome to Ogham: Home of Problems
The year is 1619, and Ogham is ruled by Count Geonor, a man who seems to think “justice” is just another word for paranoia. Six people are about to be hanged for various “crimes.” (Spoiler: most didn’t do anything wrong.) You, the player, manage to break free while the other five… well, let’s just say their day doesn’t end so well. You escape by jumping into a river, which is both brave and extremely lucky, and wash up near a wounded man under a tree.
Zombies, Sickness, and a Miller Gone Mad
Your first task? Find “the Miller,” who was supposed to warn people in Clearfell about a sickness. Unfortunately, by the time you find him, the sickness has turned him into a saw-wielding monster. After some obligatory heroics (aka killing him), you’re let into Clearfell, a logging camp turned makeshift refugee center.
Here you meet Renly, a blacksmith with a soft spot for justice and, if you picked the Warrior class, your adoptive dad. If not, Renly’s just a guy whose son was unjustly arrested. Either way, the survivors in Clearfell share similar tales of wrongful arrests and Count Geonor’s growing insanity.
Monsters, Corruption, and a Twisted Forest
The camp’s resident mystic, Una, starts connecting the dots. She believes the corruption affecting Ogham and its monsters began after Count Geonor visited a place called the Grelwood. What’s corruption, you ask? It’s Wraeclast’s way of saying, “Let’s make everything undead, monstrous, and horrible.” You set off to investigate, slaying a giant burrowing beast called the Devourer on the way.
At the Grelwood, you find a mysterious shade (ghostly figure) bound to a tree by ancient runes. Una recognizes this “Hooded One” from her dreams and believes he has answers. However, freeing him requires tools made from ancient Ezomyte weapons, which you forge using relics from a nearby battlefield.
The Eternal Empire and Count Geonor’s Paranoia
To understand what’s going on, here’s a quick history lesson: centuries ago, the Ezomytes fought against the Eternal Empire, a corrupt civilization that enslaved its people and used magic called corruption to fuel their power. The Hooded One, it turns out, has been trying to protect a powerful artifact called the Seed of Corruption. Unfortunately, Count Geonor found him, stole the Seed, and left him bound to the tree.
The Seed, when contained, is harmless. When released? It spawns monsters, spreads corruption, and generally ruins everyone’s day. And guess what? Geonor’s feeding it bodies to make it grow.
Grave Robbing, Cults, and Family Drama
To free the Hooded One, you need a Count’s signet ring, which sends you through the Grim Tangle (a spooky forest) and into the Cemetery of the Eternals. Along the way, you deal with cultists, ghosts, and an old man named Lachlann who turns out to be a resurrected ancient Count. He drops the ring you need after a boss fight, and you head back to Clearfell to complete the ritual.
The Hooded One reveals that the Seed of Corruption was once a small piece of an ancient entity called the Beast, a massive force of destruction responsible for the downfall of the Eternal Empire. Count Geonor, driven by paranoia about his bloodline and lust for power, is now using the Seed to fuel his madness.
Showdown at the Manor
Your journey leads you to Geonor’s manor, where you find him digging for something beneath his home. Turns out, he’s obsessed with proving his Ezomyte ancestry is “pure” and not tainted by Eternal blood. His wife, Oriana, seems to know more about this than she should and has been manipulating him all along.
When you finally confront Geonor, Oriana betrays him, escaping with the Seed while calling him “weak.” Enraged, the Count transforms into a corrupted wolf (because why not?) and fights you. After defeating him, the Hooded One confirms that Oriana has taken the Seed to the Vastiri Desert.
Questions Left Hanging
What was Geonor digging for under his manor?
Who is Oriana, and what’s her endgame?
What’s Finn’s deal with being “clanless”?
Will Una’s mysterious magic come into play later?
For now, you leave Ogham in ruins, with only a handful of survivors in Clearfell. Renly steps up as the leader, proving that merit beats bloodline any day. Your next stop is the Vastiri Plains, where Oriana—and possibly the fate of humanity—awaits.
That’s Act 1 in a nutshell. Dark, grim, and full of mysteries. Oh, and lots of stabbing.
Act 2 Lore Coming Soon!
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